1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heads-up display (HUD) for use in conjunction with implement status software in an agricultural vehicle towing an agricultural implement or in a self-propelled agricultural implement applying an agricultural product, such that an operator can view row-by-row implement status overlaid on the implement rows visible through the rear vehicle windshield of the agricultural vehicle or self-propelled agricultural implement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Agricultural vehicles towing an agricultural implement and self-propelled agricultural implements are commonly used to perform various agricultural functions, such as tilling, planting, spraying, and fertilizing. Often, these agricultural vehicles towing agricultural implements and self-propelled agricultural implements have individual row elements, or sections of individual row elements, that perform a function, which may rely on a proper setting and resulting measured value. For example, the individual row elements, or sections of individual row elements, may have a rate of flow of a product being applied such as a liquid, granular solid, singulated seed, bulk seed, anhydrous ammonia, or even individual plants (via a transplanter), a state of fill of a reservoir of product being applied, a working pressure of the product being applied in the case of a sprayer, a hydraulic pressure, an air pressure, a height setting, or state of engagement. Other non-limiting examples of measured values may include a rate of seed singulation, occurrence of skips, occurrence of multiples, seed spacing, seed population, or row-by-row downforce. Each of these may be measured against a target value, and may have a maximum acceptable value and/or a minimum acceptable value. Each of these may need to be monitored by the operator of the agricultural vehicle or self-propelled agricultural implement, in order to ensure that each individual row element, or section of individual row elements, performs its function as intended.
In the current precision farming market, an operator of an agricultural vehicle towing an agricultural implement or of a self-propelled agricultural implement performing an agricultural function or applying one or more agricultural product can check the function statuses of various individual row elements, or sections of individual row elements, largely only from in-cab displays like the vehicle instrument cluster, an aftermarket or Original Equipment Manufacturer touchscreen display and/or implement control box, or by simple gauges and indicators out on the implement itself, or on the individual row elements, or section of individual row elements. Each of these display mechanisms has its own inconveniences. Though the instrument cluster and touchscreen displays generally give the most precise, up-to-date status, complex calculations or feedback information across the implement width, it is difficult for an operator to visually connect the row data or row section data shown with the physical row or section out on the implement during operation. An in-cab display alert, such as a row error, a row applying outside of its intended range, or a simple confirmation of uniform application across the rows and/or nozzles, all require the operator to turn around and check the implement visually.
With the in-cab displays in the front of the cab, and the implement and/or individual row elements visible through the rear windshield, an operator is required to rotate back and forth in the seat often, as he compares the two. Additionally, bumpy field conditions and dozens of implement row elements make it hard to visually pinpoint the intended row element or section of row elements quickly. On the other hand, mechanical gauges or indicators out on the implement usually give good ‘quick and dirty’ feedback or indications of row or section status, but they are unable to incorporate the precise data and complex calculations that the in-cab displays are able to easily generate and display. During field operation, these gauges can become very difficult to see, as visibility can suffer due to dust, dirt, rain, and darkness. Therefore the two mechanisms, in-cab displays and on-implement gauges, leave much to be desired to fully correlate good, precise data, with specific physical row elements, or section of row elements, out on the implement.
What is needed in the art is a system for monitoring row elements in an agricultural vehicle towing an agricultural implement or in a self-propelled agricultural implement, the agricultural vehicle towed agricultural implement or self-propelled agricultural implement applying an agricultural product or performing an agricultural function, such that an operator can view the status of an individual row element, or section of rows, through the vehicle rear windshield and/or side windows, while making it easy to visually pinpoint the intended row element or section of row elements, and while correlating good, precise data with these specific physical row elements.